Individuals and organizations increasingly discover applications via mobile devices. For example, tablet and smartphone users frequently learn about and download applications from various application distribution platforms, such as the GOOGLE PLAY store or the APPLE application store (e.g., ITUNES). Unfortunately, not all of the applications available on these platforms may be safe and/or satisfactory for users. For example, some platforms may be slow to (or completely fail to) identify a security issue with an application and/or prevent downloads of an unsecure or compromised application.
Moreover, some platforms may provide only limited information about an application's security implications and/or fail to provide other information that may be helpful to a user in evaluating whether to download or install an application. For example, platforms may fail to provide information that identifies the performance, security, and/or annoyance impact of an application on a user's device.
Some third-party security vendors have attempted to resolve these issues by providing security applications that supplement or provide additional information about applications hosted by such platforms. Unfortunately, these third-party applications typically fail to present this supplemental information in a manner that enables users to evaluate the same while browsing a platform for applications to download. As such, users may be limited to the information provided by the platform itself while browsing the same, without the benefit of the supplemental information that third-party applications may provide. Moreover, although the above discussion focuses on mobile applications, parallel problems apply to non-mobile and desktop applications and operating systems. The instant disclosure, therefore, identifies a need for improved systems and methods for informing users about applications available for download.